Legacy
by Sophtopus
Summary: Actor AU, written in commemoration for the release of both Megaman X Legacy Collections on PC/Switch. This is year 22XX, Abel City. X, the youngest of the Lights, still finds it difficult to live outside the shadow of his family's legacy.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: Growing up, I was a huge fan of Megaman. I didn't play the games much on my own, but I was hooked on the lore. Until today I still follow the scene.

Actor AUs had floated around in the form of comics now and again. So I thought maybe it's time to really flesh out that concept and see where it leads. I wanted to keep their personalities intact, even though they had led different lives in a non-violent world.

This should be a short and sweet story. See how many references you can spot ;)

* * *

Year 22XX, Abel City.

A blue robot hung up his white doctor's coat in the staff locker. It's the end of his shift, and he looked forward to a well-earned rest.

"You're going home early today, X."

"Yeah. Not many patients. I hope you don't mind closing the clinic this time, Lifesaver."

"It's fine," Lifesaver answered.

X then asked, "Will you be coming for the reunion?"

"I haven't decided yet," he said. "They may not even remember me since I only played a minor role once."

"You should," X encouraged. "I'm sure Alia would be happy to see you."

The other doctor was surprised. "She's attending? I must have missed the memo. Hmm… that changes things. Anyways, you should go. Don't keep your family waiting. Goodnight, X."

"Night, doc."

After locking up his stash, X left for the parking lot. His trusty air-bike waited under the shade of a mechanical tree.

To the front was the towering skyscrapers of Abel City's administration center. It had stood tall for over a century, uniting law-enforcers of robots and mankind under one roof.

To the back, it's the quaint shoplot of the clinic he worked in. Lifesaver was the lot's owner: a certified general mechanic. He didn't have a shiny specialist's label, but he's good at what he does.

Since he didn't need a whole building to himself, he rented the space out to other medical practitioners. One of such beneficiaries was X himself. He's forever grateful that Lifesaver helped him secure a steady job.

X hopped on his bike and hit the road. Further and further he drove away from the bright bustle of Abel's centre. His destination: a quiet suburb where his family home had stood for ages.

People have questioned why he hasn't moved out yet. Perhaps he should. But then again, his previous career made him realise that he should treasure his family. He didn't want that other lonely possibility turn into reality.

Home sweet home. As X raised the garage doors, he noticed the additional occupant of a shield-themed car.

 _Brother Blues paid a visit? Heh. Dad would be happy._

Spirits high, X entered the family home…

…Only to meet trouble at the tea table.

Doctor Albert Wily, immortalized in a hard-light hologram program.

 _Oh. Okay. Figures that he hitched a free ride._

"Hi, Uncle Wily," X greeted. "Y-you're looking for Dad, right? I think he's in the dojo. I'll go get him for you."

Doctor Wily tapped his skull-top cane on the ground. "You're not escaping from me this time, X! Come and sit down!"

Gulp. That was a failure.

Uncle Wily had always been an intense person. Passion exuded from every aspect of his life, from his creative writing to his robotics to his parental discipline. Woe to anyone who didn't live up to his ideal.

Without a choice, X sat down on the sofa.

The old man huffed. "Why did you quit acting?"

He saw that question coming from a mile away. Uncle Wily had been sore about this for ages. X tried many times to explain himself, but… that elder was notorious for his stubbornness.

He wanted to remain as calm as possible. Be the better person.

"Uncle Wily," said X, "Acting is not a sustainable. The successful ones are just a fraction of the industry. And even then, it depends too much on popularity. At one point, everyone in the Light Household was out of work. That's when I realised that at least one of us should have a stable job."

Wily replied, "That's noble of you, I can't deny that. Going to medical school is not a small investment either. But then, why in the world did you become a glorified massage boy?! Chiropractic is not even a real medical field!"

"Uncle Wily. For the last time, I'm a physiotherapist. Not a chiropractor. I may do similar things, but it's not the same."

"Bah! Whatever it was, that's far away from your initial dreams! Boy. Look. Did Light ever tell how our legacy began in the first place?"

"Yes," X sighed, "I heard it more from you than from him though."

"Then let me remind you!" Wily puffed his chest. "We met during college, trying to build a robot with a true soul. But, our ignorant peers kept worrying about a robot apocalypse. As if ROBOTS were the fault of that nonsense!"

"That's when Light and I started making movies: a precautionary tale against the hypocritical humbug of humanity! We starred ourselves and our own creations because we were on a shoestring budget. Yet, it became a worldwide success!"

No matter how many times X heard that tale, it was always a wonder. From nothing to fame overnight.

But Zero didn't care. At least he wasn't as violent as Bass. That guy snapped. Hard.

X said, "Uncle Wily, I respect your efforts. It's just… maybe acting isn't the right field for me."

"Again with that talk!" Wily waved his holographic cane over his head. "I told you this many times already, X. The real fault lies with the producers! Executive meddling at its worst! Their greed insists that they get the final say in anything, a true stifle of the creative mind."

"Of all the Lights, YOU have the greatest potential. You just need give yourself a proper chance!"

Then, the voice of a young girl interrupted the uncomfortable talk. "Quit bothering my little brother, you old coot."

It's Roll, the eldest sister of the Lights. Whenever Uncle Wily visited the household, she would grab her infamous broom. They had a thorny history together, from what he had observed.

"Bah!" Wily exclaimed. "And YOU quit your mollycoddling! That's the problem with the Light Household. Too soft."

Roll set her broom down like a spear. Despite her dainty looks and the lack of combat roles, she won't hesitate to make her point. Many a times she had kicked Dad out of his office so she could clean it up.

Indeed. If the situation worsened, Roll would 'sweep' Doctor Wily out of the house.

"Says the parent being parented by his own kids," Roll criticised. "Everyone knew you tried to groom Zero into a superstar. Well, you got your wish. He already had his own series. Is that not enough?"

Wily crossed his arms. "Hmph. You underestimate their bond, Roll. There's nothing more heart-stringing than a best-friends-best-rivals dynamic. Zero's solo tale was just that: solo. X was hardly in the picture."

"I knew it. You're just as selfish as ever."

X remembered that. It came out of nowhere. One moment, it was a normal day. The next, he saw his old friend on the big screens.

Zero starred in his own tale, in a future that evolved from the cataclysmic event of their fifth movie. It enjoyed good success. The writers wanted to solidify their lore, so they contacted X in person. He accepted the job for old time's sake.

It was great to see his best buddy making a name for himself.

"Now, now. There's no need to fight, both of you."

Doctor Light, the other patriarch of modern robotics, walked towards the tea table. He too had immortalized himself as a hologram. He also had a mechanical clone of himself to practice his hobby: martial arts.

"Finally, Thomas." Wily grumbled. "You sure took your own sweet time. Our new movie is not going to write itself!"

Light rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, Albert. You did come earlier than expected."

"That's because Blues wanted to use his second studio. Hmph. I still don't understand why didn't he move everything to my place."

"Oh… if that's the case, X can help him out." Doctor Light tapped his son's shoulder, hinting a way out of Wily's scrutiny.

Opportunity at last. The blue one hopped off the sofa. "Great idea! I'll go to Brother Blues right now. Bye, Uncle Wily."

X walked so fast, he couldn't hear the elder's full complaints.

Blues' room also doubled as a music studio. When the composer works, nobody would be allowed inside. That made his studio the perfect hideaway from any trouble… provided one doesn't bother the musician.

The door was slightly ajar. He already expected a visitor. Must have arranged it with Dad.

Blues peeked between the gaps, still wearing his classic huge shades. "Welcome to the refugee camp," he said.

X replied with an awkward chuckle. "May I?"

"Sure. You're one of the better brothers anyway."

Out of all the members of the Light Household, Blues had the most impressive decor. Drum set at one corner. Electronic piano in another. A handcrafted wooden violin, mounted on the wall. With all that stuff, the recharge pod almost couldn't fit inside.

The editing station upgraded too. It used to have two screens. Now it had four. There were a bunch of other equipment that X couldn't describe.

The most treasured collection was displayed behind a protective glass wall. It featured woodwind instruments from around the world, ranging from oboes to flutes to pipes to piccolos to whistles.

"Wow." X blurted.

Blues smirked. "Been a while isn't it? My collection grew a lot since you last visited."

"Why didn't you keep them at Uncle Wily's place?" X asked. "You live there most of the time."

"Too public. I lost a few instruments to the cheekier busybodies. Since then, I kept the valuables here. The Lights are the only one who respects my privacy."

"I see…"

Blues pointed to an electric guitar. "Looks familiar?"

That's an object that X didn't expect to see again. It was the blue-and-white guitar he once promoted for the soundtrack collection. Posed with it for the pictures, signed it, and then gave it back for an auction.

To think his brother wound up as the current owner… what a small world.

"Why don't you give it a try?" said Blues. "It'll help cleanse the old man's raving out of your mind."

"Ah…" X rubbed the back of his helmet, a habit he picked up from his father. "I don't know how to play a guitar. It was just for the photos."

"Don't let Elec hear that. He'll zap the house."

X laughed. "You better teach me then."

It turned into an impromptu guitar lesson. Blues taught X how to set up the electric guitar, the notes of the open strings, and the logic behind the fretboard…

Twenty minutes later, X could play a simple song.

Blues smiled. "I have to admit. I'm a bit jealous of you."

"Why?" the younger brother blinked. "You were the cutting-edge prototype too. One of the founding machines."

"Well. I'm an old, outdated robot by now. On the other hand, you have an insane learning rate. Keeps you relevant no matter the era."

Leaning against his chair, Blues continued: "I know you idolize Zero. But, he has his weaknesses. Outside of his main talents, he's quite ordinary. You? You have the ability to learn anything under the sun. That's true 'potential'."

X frowned. "Are we forgetting about Brother Rock? He has the same talent too."

Just the mere mention of the second brother's name irritated Blues. "Comparing to him is a waste of time."

"But Brother Rock is the main face of the whole series," said X. "He's also the only one who remained popular. The Smash Arena came looking for him, remember? It's the reason why Dad had the opportunity to make a new movie now."

"One of the many reasons." Blues waved his finger. "A big part of Rock's revival was due to the failure of another series. Remember Mighty Number 9? And the subsequent outrage?"

"Yeah…" X sighed. "What a shame. They had great concepts too."

Mighty Number 9 promised bring back the golden era of robotic shows. With a modern twist, so they claimed.

Reception was overwhelmingly positive at first. But, as time went by there were rumours of production troubles. It didn't help that the PR management didn't do a good job in damage control.

In the end, public opinion considered Mighty Number 9 as a flop. Critics began to dig up Doctor Wily and Doctor Lights' classic movies. They showcased the games based on that concept, and talked about how fun it used to be. The comparison was what truly renewed the interest of robot fiction. Irony at its finest.

Many disgruntled fans felt justified over Mighty's poor reviews, but X sympathized with the crew. Nothing hurts more than putting their all and failing nonetheless. The events reminded him too much of his own past.

Blues pointed square at X's face. "There. That's why I say comparing to Rock is a waste of time."

"Huh?" X looked up.

"He's too naive to see that he's building on another person's ashes. On the other hand, your conscience knew the truth right away."

Between the brothers, Blues was the more cynical one. He had gone through some hard times as a freelance musician: from demanding clients to poor marketing.

"X, being a physiotherapist is a good thing. Forget about Wily. You live your own life: that's all that matters."

X smiled. "I don't have any hard feelings against Uncle Wily. I understand his frustrations. He's been around for two centuries, yet he still couldn't complete a proper Magnum Opus. It must be a huge disappointment."

"You're too nice," said Blues. "That man needs to learn some gratitude. A Magnum Opus is meaningless if he ends up being alone. Bass? Ran away. Zero? Gone indie. Everyone else kept distance at an arm's length. They don't talk to him more than they needed to."

"But you stayed."

Blues shrugged. "More out of obligation. I'm the eldest of both families, and I can't let the poor Japanese godson carry all the weight."

There's a reason why everyone compared Blues to a cat. He tries to act aloof and uncaring, but the reality was quite the opposite.

The computer started to beep. "Meeting calls," Blues swiveled his chair towards the multi-screen computer. "Stay as long as you'd like, X."

"Thanks, Brother Blues."

So, X spent the rest of the evening practicing on his guitar. It was more pleasant than expected. Then again, he had no pressure. Everything was on his own leisure.

No expectations to meet.  
No patients to treat.  
No imaginary civilians to save.

It's just himself and the sweet sound of music.


	2. Chapter 2

It's not easy to arrange a face-to-face meeting with two full-time actors. It requires the determination to see things through and the flexibility for multiple backup plans.

Sure, they often kept in contact online. But a get-together had the bigger fun factor.

Saturday, 1000 hours, X was the first to arrive at the meeting point. It's a secured karaoke room: one of the few places where they could talk without being heard. Keeps the fun in and the paparazzi out.

X placed his knapsack on the table… and let his mind wander.

 _I wonder how everyone else is doing._

 _Will they turn up for the big Capsule Company reunion? I only had confirmations from Zero, Alia and Axl._

 _I'm seriously out of touch._

 _Did I bring enough E-cans? Hmm, should we sing anything at all? Maybe we should concentrate on catching up._

 _Decisions, decisions…_

While he pondered, his two other friends arrived together. For old time's sake, they came in their 'X series' costumes.

Axl, still ever young and spunky, waved with a great cheer. "Yooooooooo! We're early for once!"

Zero smirked, landing a playful backhanded slap on the kid's pauldrons. "That's because I drove to your pad and kicked you out of your pod. We'd end up in 'Axl Time' if I left it to you."

"Hey, hey, hey! Axl Time sometimes feels slower than reality, okay?"

What a nostalgic sight. They're all old enough to be grandparents and great-grandparents, yet they behaved as though they came fresh from the set.

Zero and Axl lived in the same condo complex. Different blocks, same route. That's why they pool their ride whenever they can.

X said, "I hope you guys brought extra E-Cans. I got my bag full of memorabilia. Took up half the space there."

"Memorabilia?" Axl sparkled. "Oh my gosh am I hearing this right? I'm gonna get a direct history lesson from the legends themselves?!"

"Yup."

Zero raised a brow. "So that's your surprise plan. No wonder you wanted to book so many hours. Here I thought we're gonna have a singing showdown or something."

X unzipped his bag and out came multiple tablet-sized computers; categorized according to a specific movie.

"Let's pick something out at random. First would be…"

'Command Mission.'

Axl pointed to it and went, "My hoooooome! You have no idea how super stoked my parents were. Their kid, acting on their mining island. They were over the moon!"

Zero said, "Giga City, huh. I still think that was one of the most ambitious tourist promotion pitches ever. Did that actually work?"

"I'd say so! We still get tourists to this day."

"I like that place a lot," said X. "We got to have a lot of fun off-set too."

With a catty smile, his friend teased: "The day I discovered that X is a gacha fan…"

Immediate flustering happened. "Stop looking at me like that. Opening capsules has its own unique excitement!"

"You finally got your Metal Upa?"

"Yes…"

"After spending how much zenny?"

"I'm not telling." X moped. It's high time to divert the conversation away from his embarrassing hobbies. "Axl, how the town's mining operation coming along?"

"Great!" he said, "But uh… can you guys help me with something? I mean, you have years of living experience ahead of me."

X nodded. "Sure. We'll listen."

Axl explained: "After you two went your separate ways, I thought I should follow in X's footsteps. Get a normal backup job. But everyone went 'NOPE! Son, you gotta carve out your own niche'."

"I get why my parents said that. They were movie buffs. Being first-gen mining Reploids, they never got the chance to enter the field. But all my neighbours? Friends? Now that's weird. Everyone wanted me to stick to acting."

"Guess they didn't want you to waste your talent." Zero answered, "I can't ever see you doing mining anyway. That's for the grounded folk. Not zippy energetic sprites like you."

But was that really the case? Though the movie that featured Giga City had fictionalized the origins of their resources, it's still a fact that they're depending on a rare substance. Their days as a mining city could end sooner than expected.

That could explain why they're trying to expand the location into a multi-layer biome centre. Focus on tourism. Even so, if Axl stayed there he might just be stuck in a single set place forever…

"X is in deep-thought mode again." Sighed Axl.

"Well duh," said Zero, "Ask a serious question and you'll get a serious reaction. That's how X rolls."

"Uuuh… yeah." Axl patted X on his thigh. "Dude, forget about it. There's no need to burn your chips or whatnot over a little thing like that. I mean, Zero already gave me a good answer."

Maybe the young one had a point. After all, it's mere speculation. What's important is that a person can still make a living.

X chuckled. "Yeah, you're right. Let's move on to the next one. Otherwise, we won't get through the pile."

The next random pick was… 'X7'.

Zero snatched that tablet out of X's hand and tucked it between the cushions.

"Nothing to see here, move along."

X burst into utter laughter. On the other hand, poor Axl whined: "Aw c'mon, X7 was my debut title!"

"X7?" He feigned ignorance. "What X7? That movie never existed. Your real debut is in Command Mission. Everyone knows that."

"Zeroooooooooo!"

Snorting, X poked Zero on his cheek guards. "Who's the childish one now? Still salty even after all those years."

"Meh," the other huffed. "They butchered your character, X. Almost a damn parody. As if can accept that!"

"Axl had to work with what he got. It's not fair to him if you behave this way."

"X, it's not a good debut. The crits harped on how Axl was a glorified OC! There were rumours of how they were trying to push the product to a younger crowd. I know the kid is WAY better than a cute face!"

"Everyone has to start somewhere," said X. "We were once beginners too. He wouldn't be successful today if he didn't gain experience from that movie. He wouldn't have met us either."

Stretching out his arm, X beckoned Zero to return the item.

After some big reluctance, Zero returned the data. "Good talk. But, I would prefer to move on to something else."

Better than digging up old wounds either way. Next was… 'X8'.

That grimace on Zero's face was priceless. "What the?! Why is it all Axl titles? Are you sure you're being 'random'? Whatever happened to the history lesson?"

"Yeah!" the other exclaimed. "I don't wanna just see my stuff. Even though I'm awesome like that."

X lifted his arms in surrender. "Hey, hey, hey. I just put my hand in the bag and picked one out."

"…Knowing you, they're probably arranged with the newest title on top."

Guilty as charged. It wasn't even X's intention. Just his natural neatness taking over.

Nevertheless, they ended up scrolling through the files for X8. Listen to some of the soundtrack, admire the set, flip through the photographs… they even watched a bit of the show.

X commented, "One of the better later titles."

"Yup. Agreed," said Zero, "Man, that elevator sequence is still my favourite."

"Yo, X," said Axl. "Remember the whole 'Better watch out, X. I might just steal your spotlight' deal? The improv that made it to the final cut?"

"Yeah…?" X had questions of where this would lead.

Axl put on his best pitiful puppy dog face. "I REGRET EVERYTHING I SAID! E-ku-suuuuuuuu-kun please come back to the acting field it's so lonely without youuuuuuuu!"

Zero rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Lonely because you don't have X as the 'boring-guy' prop."

"All the girls flock to you, Zero. And you know it!"

"What can I say? I'm too cool for this world."

Snickering, X patted Axl on the back. "Sorry kid. The spotlight is all yours now."

"Nooooooooooo!"

The fun moments passed. After they settled down, Axl pondered out loud. "I really wonder if the actor for Lumine is still around. We've never heard from him since he went back to the moon. I heard rumours that he became a politician."

X knitted his brow. "Do you think the Lunarians were angry that we casted them as the bad guys?"

"Nah," Zero replied. "It was their idea."

"Seriously?!" Both exclaimed. X was extra surprised to hear so.

"Yeah, seriously."

Zero explained: one day, the agents called and said that they had a job that involved the citizens of Lunaria. They were a former mining colony that had grown into a semi-autonomous state.

As of then, the environment there were still too harsh for humans. In turn, they attracted more robots who tire of dealing with interracial troubles. Natural selection had transformed the moon into the closest possible equivalent of a Reploid utopia.

"I wonder…" muttered X, "If it was a subtle warning to Earth. Something along the lines of: 'if we wanted to rebel, we would have done so already'."

Confused, Axl asked, "By having us Earthlings kick their butts in the end? T-there was that cliffhanger. But, still."

 _…Such a victory fosters a false sense of security. The Lunarians were the ones who truly ran the show._

 _Was it a hidden message, or did they want to prove that they're capable of making an unbiased piece of entertainment?_

"Nevermind," X sighed. "I'm overthinking again."

The next random draw was… 'X4'.

Zero's expression darkened in an instant. He turned away in silence, refusing to face the painful memories embedded within.

"Isn't that the one with Iris?" asked Axl, "Uh. It's just a show, right? Right?"

X placed a finger on his lips. The confused junior wanted to ask more, but in the end he backed down.

The tablet, unseen and unheard, was buried back into the pile.

 _Sigh. I should have left that one back at home._

 _Enough with the haphazard picks. I should skip to the star of the show._

X dug to the very bottom of the bag. There's one title that everyone wanted to see, especially the youngster.

Pulling the tablet out, X said: "Okay, here we go. The movie that started it all… 'Megaman X'."

Axl began nerding out. "The original staff copy! I can't believe I'm gonna touch it in person. Wait, can I touch it? I don't wanna cause any accidents."

"Of course. I'll hold the tablet if you're worried."

The two seniors let Axl release his inner fanboy for a while. They knew that it was like a dream come true for the junior. The earlier movies were made long before he was created.

As the original audition clips played, Axl's face filled up with sheer enchantment.

"Oh. My. God." Axl squealed. "Is that really Sigma?! The actual Sigma, the toppest dog of the top brass of the world?! Chief Police of Robotics?"

By the time Axl joined the field, Sigma had returned full-time to law enforcement. Only the character remained studio property. They built fanciful puppets and hired voice actors to maintain the illusion.

"Yup," said X. "That's the man himself. It shocked all of us when he auditioned for the villain role. But, he had a good reason."

"Really? What was it?"

"Sigma said the best way to catch criminals is to put himself in their shoes. Think how they think, act how they act. Doing so would expose their flaws and enable him to plan better actions against them."

Skeptical, Axl squinted. "Does that really work?"

X shrugged. "I guess? The world hasn't fallen apart yet."

 _Please let the cataclysm stay on the silver screens…_

They moved on to the stunt takes. One of the coolest, yet most dangerous part of the acting job.

Zero does all his own stunts. At first, X thought of letting the Copy Bot do the work for him, but Zero urged X to grab danger by the horns.

In the end, he took that advice. Dropping sky-high from the clouds without a parachute was a once in a lifetime opportunity. The thrill… couldn't be described with words.

When Roll found out, her core almost stopped from the sheer shock. It further cemented her prejudice that Wily Bots had a tendency to be terrible influences.

Zero leaned forward. "Having fun?"

"Totally!" said Axl. "You two were so COOL from the very beginning~~ Where did you get those skillz?!"

"Me?" Flicking his hair, Zero announced: "I'm made like that."

"No way!"

"Yes way. I'm not called 'Wily's Golden Boy' for nothing. Pops built me as a super-robot that will last for centuries. His Magnum Opus, so to speak."

Axl blinked. "Wait. So. The movies were based on real life stories? W-what about you, X?"

"Aww, shucks…" X scratched his cheek. "C-can I not talk about that?"

Zero nudged him on the shoulder. "C'mon, spit it out. It's not like you were a complete unknown. You were all over the news long before you became a movie star."

"I don't want Axl to think of me differently."

"What? You think the kid's stupid? Look at his face now."

Indeed, Axl looked like he was about to explode from the revelation.

X said, "I… I think we just crashed his processors."

It's fortunate that he kept some extra files with the first-series copy. X thought that it might put his involvement in better context. History can be difficult to preserve.

He showed Axl all the news articles related to his first two years of existence. Prior to his becoming a movie star, X appeared before the world as a celebrity of a different nature: the latest scientific breakthrough.

He appeared on talk shows. Interviews. Debates and discussions with the brightest minds. The world marvelled at his humble humanity.

Axl slumped against the seat, staring at the ceiling with blank eyes. "The first true free-willed, free-thinking machine in the world? Made by Doctor Light? In our universe? Whoa. Whoaaaaa. Maybe fiction is reality after all."

Zero snapped his fingers. "Back to Earth, kiddo. You're getting it reversed. The X-series was inspired by X's existence. Not the other way around. Did you know he wasn't the original main star?"

"Huh? Really?!…"

"The X-series was Doctor Wily's idea, and yours truly was supposed to be the protag. Pops had a completely different story too."

"But here's the crux: I was a nobody to the world. Just another super-cool bot with insanely luscious hair. The marketing guys insisted that X - being already famous - would be the better choice."

"Huh…" Axl blinked. "Doctor Wily didn't object to it?"

"Well. Yeah. Of course he objected. He's stubborn after all. But then," Zero slung his arm around X. "Uncle Light stepped in. I don't know what exchanged between them, but Pops got SUPER fired up. They started writing a new story catered to X."

"Wow. Okay, so who was the one who came up with the heroic sacrifice idea?"

X pointed square at Zero's face.

"Eh?!" Axl exclaimed. "Not any of your dads?"

"Nope," X replied. "Mister Dramatic. Right here."

Zero responded with a slow, big shrug. "Gotta make the most of my airtime. I was supposed to appear only once. Might as well go out with a bang."

"Too much!" laughed X. "You became THE most popular guy in the polls. I got outshined by a mile!"

"Heh, heh. Don't blame me. I didn't expect that either."

Zero popped open one of the energy cans and took a gulp. "Man. Pops was the happiest man that day. Called all the brothers home for a huge celebration. Only Bass didn't show up."

Axl wriggled his brows. "Do I smell… family drama? Jealousy?"

"Naaaaah. Brother Bass is a full time animal rescuer. He focuses on the orphan care of kittens and puppies. Ever held a newborn? They're smaller than the palm of our hands."

Zero showed Axl some video clips of neonatal kittens. It's doubtful that Axl ever had a chance to interact with animals that young.

"They're soooooo cute! So tiny. So wriggly."

"Yeah. Those cute buggers also need to be fed every two hours. They can't even poop without help. He really ain't got time for a party."

X of course knew that there was indeed some jealousy of Zero being the golden boy. But… that was not the reason why Bass left home. The Wily's family history gets rather controversial.

They then went through the four remaining titles in the pile, one by one. When the Maverick Virus conversation happened, he noticed something about Zero.

 _He's not disclosing the real story…_

 _2, 3, 5, and 6. Those titles were the ones most affected by censorship. Dialogue changes. Scene cuts. Whole revelations, gone._

 _The executives worried that Uncle Wily's true plot will taint his name and cause a massive uproar. His completed Magnum Opus… the world may never be ready for that._

 _I feel bad for Axl. He sincerely believes he's part of the in-group. Are we lying to protect him? Or are we just being cowards?_

The day ended with some karaoke. Then, it's time to head home.

X spent the rest of the evening helping Roll. It's not easy to keep a big house clean. The elder sister appreciated all the help she can get.

 _Tomorrow is boardgame morning. I wonder who will turn up? Cut? Elec? Guts? I hope Brother Rock makes it home. Been a while since I last saw him. A month, I think?_

While he wiped the dust off a shelf, X received a direct transmission.

 _Huh? This ID. It's from Zero?_

He pushed a hidden button in his earpiece.

"Hello?" he said.

 _"X. Watch the news."_ Zero sounded serious.

X hurried to switch on the TV. It showed the aftermath of some sort of incident. Lots of property damage. Some injuries, but no fatalities.

 _"What's the scoop?"_

"A malfunctioning construction robot."

Zero let out a string of expletives. _"Someone tried to kidnap Axl. They recognized him as a star and a Giga City native. That construction bot is just a decoy."_

X plopped down on the nearest sofa, just in case his knees gave way to a worse news.

"Is he alright?" he asked.

 _"Just shaken with some scrapes. I want to check my insides though. Got kicked and punched around a bit."_

"That's not a problem. I can help you there. Are you taking him to the police station?"

 _"Nope. We're heading straight to your place."_

"What?! You should! The police exists for a reason, Zero."

 _"'Cause. I screwed up, X. Axl… he saw me rip some limbs. And I, uh, weaponized a vending machine. Used some of Pop's prototype tech too."_

Now, X was glad he sat down. "ZERO!"

There was a yelp and a pause. Zero must have winced from the sudden spike of volume. _"To be fair, I can't let Axl get taken away right before my eyes. Not if I can help it."_

"I understand how you feel, but you could have disabled those criminals in a less brutal manner. There's really no need to rip off their limbs!"

 _"You know the mechanics can fix those back in a jiffy, right? As long their core chip is intact, robots don't die. I'm not so moronic to amputate a human."_

"Still! Then there's that prototype tech! What am I supposed to do if Axl blabs about your epic coolness all over the internet?! Uncle Wily keeps secrets for a reason!"

 _"That is also why I need your help."_ said Zero. _"X, you gotta make me look normal. Be more special than me. Like I know you are."_

Groan. "…I need to hatch a plan with Dad. Just, be careful alright? Watch your back."

 _"Thanks X. I owe you big this time."_

Call, end.

X pinched the bridge of his nose. Hard.

What an utter headache. There goes his idea of a peaceful weekend.


	3. Chapter 3

By the time Zero and Axl arrived, the sun had long set.

Blondie had seen a scuffle alright: his light hair and fair complexion made the street dirt that covered every inch of his body even more obvious.

Axl didn't say a word. That's fine. The scanning pods should take care of spotting injuries. That's one advantage of being a robot.

The duo were then whisked past the living area and straight into Doctor Light's Lab. Meanwhile, X sent out a message to all the Light siblings.

'Sunday activities are cancelled until further notice. Stay where you are.'

"That's all of them," he muttered to himself. "Hope they check their inboxes…"

Back to the repair bay.

Looking at the big screen, Axl's data had a big green 'OK'. That's good: it meant that he didn't get hurt at all.

On the other hand, Zero's condition stood at about 70%.

Roll wrapped the youngster up with a warmed towel. Organic or not, soft fabrics had a soothing effect.

"Better?" she asked with a smile.

Axl nodded. "Y-yeah. Thanks. I-is Zero okay? His scans seem to be taking longer than usual."

"I'm not sure yet… but if he could drive, I suppose it won't be serious."

 _I'm sure he'll be fine. He knows how to protect his vitals._

 _…Should I ask Axl about the kidnapping? I want to record the intel while it's fresh, but he might still be too shocked._

X cautiously decided to give a shot. He leaned against the side of Axl's pod and asked: "Do you remember what the kidnappers said?"

The youngster pulled his blanket closer. "Uh… they recognized me as 'Axl from Giga City'. Something about me being a 'big bargaining chip' against my family's mining company."

Scarcity might trigger competition. Still, the circumstances were unusual. What prompted them to target Giga City's ores? Their resources were rare for sure, but nowhere near in volume to compete with many other contrabands.

"Dad," asked X. "Are there any new discoveries that use the city's novel minerals?"

Doctor Light stroked beard. "Nothing that's been published in the last five years. However, it is already valued as a particularly dense form of Energen. They also mine titanium and tungsten ores."

X frowned. "What if someone's trying to manufacture an army…?"

"Then Sigma must be notified as soon as possible," the father said, "Let us pray that it's just the work of private criminals. It's going to be messy if it involves international politics."

Beep. Beep. So said the monitor, calling for the good doctor's attention.

"Oh, excuse me…"

After a quick read, he said: "Hmm. Zero suffered some minor damages, but nothing that requires external intervention. All he needs is rest."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Self-repair technology had come a long way over the many years. X still remembered the times where the slightest tear required a manual repair.

 _Auto-repairs are vital for stunt work._

 _Uncle Wily sure pays special attention to Zero._

The pod opened. Zero sat up and stretched, behaving as though he had a nice short nap. There's always a sense of casual coolness in everything he does.

"Hey Uncle Light," he said, "Anything that would make Pops freak out?"

"Not at all," the good doctor replied.

"Phew. Don't wanna give him any excuse to haul me back into the fortress home. I like having my own pad."

X chuckled. "Gets crowded over there, huh?"

"Yeah," he shook his head. "Dozens of bored war vets all under the same roof. Bound to get noisy."

Doctor Light then approached Axl, opening up with a warm question: "How are you feeling now?"

"M-much better." Axl bowed. "Thank you."

"Good. Good. A healthy body is as important as a healthy mind. Anyways, let's adjourn to the living room."

With all the checkups done, they did just that; it's just the trio and the good doctor now.

"So, Axl." Light asked: "How much do you know about the other two boys?"

"Uhh…"

Axl pointed to X: "My hero. Nice guy. Best mentor."

Then to Zero: "My other hero. The cooler one of the two. Great stuntman!"

Light chuckled. "Ah, so they've not disclosed much about our family history. Zero knows more about his than X does."

Crossing his legs over, the red one confirmed it. "Yeah. Pops won't shut up about the Wily's glory days."

"I…" The sheepish blue one rubbed the back of his helmet. "I guess I'm not curious enough? I've heard bits and pieces about the past. Rarely the full story though. So this would be an educational moment for me too."

Axl pouted. "You're a member of one of the most famous families in the world and you didn't care about your lore? Seriously? You're losing cool points, X."

Cue more uncomfortable embarrassed laughing. "Hahahahahaha… I guess I took it for granted."

"Now now," Light said, "There's no need to blame X. It's also the Light Family's fault for not educating him better."

Doctor Light took a few moments to collect himself. He hesitated more than usual, and he looked… sombre? Serious?

X had a feeling that the truth ran deeper than what he's about to tell. But, he's saving his ponderings for a different time. Maybe he'll never bring it up. Let sleeping dogs lie.

At last, Light began his story proper: "After the success of our first movie, there was an uptick of interests in our handiwork. One of the highest paying requests came from the military."

"I wasn't comfortable with the idea of weaponcraft. I dream a world where humans and robots could live together in peace. Taking the military contracts would contradict this ideal. I had tried it once, and that was enough for me."

"On the other hand, Wily thought they were great opportunities to fund his experiments. He's the more creative, free-spirited one between us. Industrial budgets couldn't fulfill his desires."

"As a result, our requests were split: I took the industrial jobs, while Wily experimented together with the military."

Axl opened his eyes wide. "Y-you mean Zero IS a super combat robot for real?!"

The red one leaned back against the sofa. "What's weird about that? I have over 40 combat robot brothers. Not strange that Pops made me one too."

"But you didn't join the force. I bet Sigma would love to have you around."

Squinting, the kid asked: "Why?"

"Same reason why you're not a mining robot. Just because your family is good in a specific field, doesn't mean you have to follow in their footsteps. That's the beauty of free will."

"Hmm… you have a point there, Zero."

X was internally relieved. So far, Axl's reactions seemed normal. He made no outlandish claims either.

 _All going according to plan so far. Dad thought the best way to resolve Zero's mistake is to be honest about certain details. I agree with him. That should be enough to satiate 'most' of his curiosity._

Then the kid exclaimed, "But there's no way a run-of-the-mill-super-fighting-robot could literally transform a rusty pipe into a sword! That was UBER cool! Zero is like, I dunno, a modern fantasy wizard?"

What luck. Good ol' Wily just had to make something that threw his expectations out of the window.

 _W-what?! THAT was the prototype tech?_

 _Was it reinforced? No. A plain reinforcement would just turn it into a baton, not a sword._

 _Is this… transmutation?_

 _Uncle Wily… sigh. He really bends the rules. I wish he could tone his rebellious nature down a little._

The blue son shot a questioning glance at his father. The father looked back in the same confused manner. He doesn't know anything either.

Turning back to Axl, Light said: "Um, that could be Doctor Wily's newest commission. I wouldn't know for sure since he'd be under a Non-Disclosure Agreement. Zero helps him out as a beta tester on the side. So, please keep that event a secret: for your friend's sake."

"My lips are sealed, Doctor!" The kid pulled an imaginary zipper over his mouth, twisted the 'lock', and tossed the 'key' away.

 _At least he's understands the value of secrets. Actors adhere to NDAs as well. Can't have spoilers leaking out onto the web after all._

 _Well, it's my turn now._

Getting up from the sofa, X beckoned: "Come Axl, I have something to show you in person."

He took the junior to the family dojo. This would be where the Light Bots used to practice their action scenes before the shoots themselves. Nowadays, Doctor Light used this space for his martial arts hobby.

If measurements were not required, scrap waste served as great targets.

Brother Fire found an intact empty car last week. It's been sitting there, waiting to be a practice dummy. It doesn't look like anyone used it yet. That's going to change soon.

Axl dropped his jaw. "Whoaaaaaa. You guys got your own training room?"

X nodded. "This is puny compared to the Wily's. They can even build whole obstacle courses."

"Filled with spikes?" chuckled Axl.

"Filled with digital shocking stage-resetting hologram spikes, to be exact. That's not even the worst they could conjure up."

X had flashbacks of Quick's laser madness. The others were no better: Shade had a taste for dark and horror-themed rooms, always packing a scare in unexpected corners, while Metal wouldn't hesitate to take anyone on a spin on a maze of conveyor belts.

Then there's Snake and Grenade… outright sadistic design ideas. Such terrible terrors.

"Anyways," continued X, "Have you ever heard of the Worldwide Fighting Tournament?"

The kid's face lit up. "Yeah, those guys are famous for their special moves. Especially those Shotos! 'Hadouken'! 'Shoryuken'!"

Then Axl started mimicking the punches, kicks, and the school's trademark skills.

Cute… but inaccurate. Casual knowledge had a tendency to oversimplify details.

"Actually," said X, "The 'Shotokan' that you know is not their martial art's official name. The true Shotokan Karate is a very different discipline. They don't externalize their ki, for example."

"Eh? That's sounds boooring. I like the flashier Shotokan better."

"Again, it's not 'Shotokan'. It's 'Ansatsuken'."

"An… Ansa…" The kid kept tripping over his tongue. After a few seconds of silence, a new nickname was spawned: "Awesomeken!"

X facepalmed. "No. Okay. Nevermind. Just stick to 'Shotokan'."

 _I'll never live it down if that nickname took the internet by storm…_

Clearing his throat, X then asked: "What else do you know?"

Axl stared at the ceiling and tapped his chin. "I heard a rumour that only humans could execute a real Hadouken."

"Well… that particular rumour is true."

"Wha? Why?"

"That's because the Hadouken is a manifestation of a human's spiritual energy. Otherwise known as 'ki'." X thumped his fist on his chest. "It's all right here."

Skeptical, Axl crossed his arms and tilted his head. "But Magma Dragoon could do that just fine?"

"He's a stand-in. By acting as the current head, he protects the true masters of the Art. All of his special moves are mere technological replications. None come from ki."

More question marks over Axl's head. "Masters? Need protection? This is making less and less sense."

X frowned. "Do you know how to kill a human?"

The question shocked the other robot. "Uh. Um. Y-you damage their vital parts. Like, um. The head! And heart. And… their 'organs' stuff. Watch out when they start bleeding too."

"Do you know the difference between a force that inflicts a bruise versus a force that breaks a bone?"

"I… I…" In the end, Axl couldn't answer.

X figured just as much. "The average robot is far, far stronger than a human. Only those who know their limitations are allowed to duel cross-species. Not everyone can accept this, so some choose to keep their identities hidden to prevent stalkers."

Pointing towards the rusty husk of a car, he said. "Look there."

Though still puzzled, Axl listened to X anyway.

X prepared his stance. Hovered his right hand over his left. Turned it as he shifted sideways.

At its peak point, he forced his palms outward with a loud shout:

"HADOUKEN!"

A blue energy blast hurled towards the car. The whole husk flipped in the air upon impact. It spun twice before hitting the ground upside down.

Axl's jaw dropped. Speechless. Flabbergasted. He kept looking between the car and X.

After a good minute, the kid blurted: "How? Are you a human in a suit?"

"No. But close enough," X answered. "Dad created me to have a near-human soul. As a result, I'm the only machine lifeform capable of mastering ki. That Hadouken is proof."

"T-t-that means you're one of the hidden masters?!"

"Yes."

Axl threw his arms in the air. "Why didn't you take the school instead?! That would have been AWESOME! With that many students, you'd have a good living too."

X responded with a sheepish smile. "Like Zero, I wanted to try something different. I'd rather stay away from violence as much as possible."

 _Still… I did consider that option once. Back when I wasn't sure if my medical career would work out._

With a serious tone, he then said: "Axl, the kidnappers might try to nab you again. They may use guile to get around Zero. For example, by pretending to be a friend. Or a business partner. He's smart enough to through see their schemes, but he can't attack them without provocation either. That would be counted as assault."

The kid furrowed his brows. "You're right! So, are we gonna work together to hold the fort and kick their sorry butts? You, The Hadouken King. Zero, Mister War Machine. And me? Uh. I'm good with guns!"

Wink. Gun pose. "My marksmanship ain't fake. Pew pew!"

X imagined a cartoonish sweat-drop over his head. "No. It's too dangerous to cause an incident. We don't know whether or not they have a large force. And, I would rather not turn my home into collateral damage."

"Aww…" Poor Axl, denied of the opportunity to make fantasy a reality.

"Instead," X extended his hand, "I need your permission to borrow your data."

"Eh? Excuse me?"

"I need to act as you, Axl. Become your replacement. Thanks to my training, I know how to safely disable both humans and robots. In turn, you have to transform into me."

Axl was surprisingly logical about the request. "But I thought you're an oldie? Only New Gens like myself can execute a full transformation. Even then, we need to register a 'base form'."

X smiled. "Well, who do you think pioneered the New Generation chip development in the first place? Dad and Uncle Wily, of course. With a few modifications, I can mimic you even though I'm a First Generation Reploid."

"What about my properties?" Axl asked, "If they scan your code, it's going to show up as 'LIGHT'. And that's gonna blow your cover!"

The senior winked back. "I have my ways. Don't worry about that. Oh. I don't want to clone your clothes though. It would eat too much energy, and it won't hold up to scanners. That's why I'll also need to borrow your chassis. Um, I hope it's not of sentimental value. You might not get it back."

"Pffft!" The kid laughed. "My parents kept the originals. What I have are their in-house replicas. You know, that sounds GREAT! I trust the most epic secret master to get out of trouble on his own."

 _Okay. Maybe Axl is a bit TOO eager about this plan. I expected more hesitation. And Worry. And… oh well. The kid has an optimistic slant after all._

 _I can imagine it now. Roll, freaking out. Rock, happy that I protected a civilian. Blues, silently judging me behind those shades._

Incoming transmission from Roll. X answered the call. "Something happened, Sister?"

She replied with clear concern in her voice. _"W-we have some strange guests. They claim to know Axl…?"_

"Let them in." He tried to stay calm for her sake. "Keep them entertained until I'm there. Oh, and please make sure Zero doesn't start a fight."

 _"Okay, X. I'll let Dad know."_

Transmission, end.

 _It's happening exactly as I predicted. Could this be too good to be true? What if their real target is me or Zero?_

 _I can't dilly dally anymore…_

 _It's time to get serious!_


	4. Chapter 4

Roll and Doctor Light did their best to entertain the unexpected guests. They served refreshments of Energen, initiated small talk, chatted a bit about old legacies…

Meanwhile, Zero kept a stern watch over this mysterious bunch of Reploids who claimed to be friends of Axl's father.

Utter. Nonsense.

 _They're not friends._  
 _They're DEFINITELY not friends._

 _But if X invited them in, then it means he has a plan._

 _C'mon buddy. Hurry up! I'm resisting the Wily-brand urge of punching their faces._

At last, X and Axl emerged from the dojo.

The leader stood up to greet the youngster. "Axl-boy! Great to see you in person."

'Axl-boy' seemed unamused. Putting his arms on his hips, he retorted: "Dude. If we're really fam, what's with the rough treatment? I just had a bunch of your guys trying to drag me off the streets!"

The reploid rubbed his hands together. "I deeply apologize for that incident, young man. T-they were ignorant thugs who didn't know any manners. Come, come, I'll explain."

So the Reploid, whose name Zero didn't bother to remember, explained to everyone about how Axl's father had to cancel a bunch of Energen orders. Ran out of stock, so the mining island claimed.

X crossed his arms. "Axl is not part of the director's board. Why do you need his help?"

"Well," said the guest. "Everyone knows just how much the boss loves his only child. Quite a special one too, being a star and all. We need him to persuade the old man. Tell him to reconsider. Otherwise, we'd have no energy!"

"What about old-style electricity generators? Solar? Charcoal?"

"That's won't do, Sir X. Our consumption is far more than any of the old-school methods could generate in a proper timespan!"

The more Zero listened to the tale, the more suspicious he became.

 _Are they trying to power a city or what? Perhaps a mega-factory? I won't trust anyone who resorts to kidnapping to fulfil their orders. Pop's movies taught me as much._

Axl sighed. "Okay. I'll help. If anyone asks, that weird incident was nothing more than a misunderstanding."

Zero couldn't believe his ears. "WHAT?! Axl, you don't even know them!"

Then, the strangest of the strange happened. Axl looked at Zero straight in the eye, raised his hand, and calmly said: "I'll be fine."

For a split second, a vision of X replaced Axl.

There's no way Zero would get the subtleties wrong. They had been best pals for over a century. Closer than real brothers.

 _Hah. I KNEW you had a plan._

Still, the act wasn't over yet. Zero had to play his part too.

Crossing his arms, he shot a glare at the unknowns. "Alright. If they lay a finger on you… I'll give them some special-grade Wily treatment."

Roll being Roll, reminded the red one that the law exists. "That's illegal assault, Zero. Please don't make things worse."

 _Huh. So she doesn't realise the bait and switch? Well, that's for the best. Poor Roll would flip otherwise._

'Axl' smiled. "Aww thanks for the concern, but it's my turn now. Gotta go settle some disputed deals. See ya later, folks!"

The incident thus wrapped up in peace. The unknown robots took 'Axl' to their car and drove off into the night.

Zero slung his arm over the blue bot. "C'mon X, let's hang out. Been awhile since we have one of those 'sleepover' stuff, right?"

"Y-yeah, sure!"

Zero snickered to himself.

 _That's such an Axl response. He may have X's voice, but he slipped up on the intonation._

 _I better whisk the kid away before anyone gets suspicious._

"Off to the dojo we go. I want a good spar!"

Roll just shook her head, muttering something about 'violent, rambunctious Wily Bots' under her breath.

Doctor Light just smiled at Zero and 'X'. He left before the red Wily Bot could properly read his face.

 _The doc seems worried, but I can't tell whether or not he realises the trick._

In the dojo, Zero made sure to lock the door. And also to stay as far away from it as possible. Ain't got time for accidental eavesdroppers.

Patting the robot on the shoulder, he said: "Alright kiddo, you can relax now."

"You sure?" the other asked back.

"Yeah. Keep your voice down though."

The blue robot's body glowed white. One second later, the false X transformed back into Axl.

X's original blue chassis remained intact, however. Zero realised that they had switched more than a face and a voice.

Taking off the mentor's helmet drained Axl of whatever composure he had left. The kid's knees went weak and he dropped onto the dojo floor.

After some panting, he confessed: "D-dang. That's scarier than I thought. Acting for a show and acting to fool bad guys are two completely different things!"

Zero smirked. "What are you talking about? Wasn't that your 'job' in your big debut?"

"Red Alert is all fiction though…" said Axl. "That's acting within acting. Double the buffer! Either way, I got so nervous just now. Worried that I didn't act like X enough."

"You did well," said Zero. "The flub only happened when I threw my arm over you. Disturbed concentration and all that."

"When did you notice?" Axl asked.

"When X told me that he'll be fine. He has… a certain composure. It's hard to explain, but I know it when I see it."

Axl held the helmet up like a prized trophy. Not every day that a person switched clothes with their mentor for one's own safety.

"I wonder if X will be okay… I got so caught up by his cool background story, I forgot he's not a police bot."

Zero laughed. "By tomorrow, the bad guys are gonna be the ones regretting their schemes. Trust me on that."

* * *

X rubbed his chin, pondering over the bodies of the unfortunate unconscious thugs before him.

 _Hmm. Three humans, three robots. Each dressed in the exact same masked uniform that I took from the last guy. This uncertainty would discourage a civilian like Axl from attempting to escape._

 _So far, it's a pretty standard hostage setup._

Looking back, he wondered about the effectiveness of the decoy Axl doll. He did his best by propping the chassis on an earlier thug, and then counted on the darkness to complete the rest of the illusion.

Alas, the distraction didn't work as well as X had hoped. Hence the resulting fist-fight.

 _I better get going._

After looting a gun from one of the fallen guards, it was time to hide the freshly knocked out guards. The storeroom should work. After some busiwork he then continued navigating through the abandoned warehouse.

X had some flashbacks about Sigma trying to 'persuade' him to join the military.

Much to Sigma's annoyance, X and Zero avoided the path of law enforcement. The towering bald Chief of Police doesn't believe a master fighter should live in the shadow of civilian life. He thought that every combat-capable robot should contribute to the continuing peacekeeping of Earth. Otherwise, it would be a total waste of their potential.

X reminded himself that there's a time and place for every thought. And, at the moment he should focus on stealth.

 _I only had a breakout in mind, but it would be nice to find out more information on why they're targeting Axl. Reporting them to the police could prevent a repeat incident._

 _Hmm… What if this is a case of internal corruption?_

Though guard activity had increased, X managed to slip past the armed criminals. Midway his journey he heard a bunch of angry footsteps. Better duck behind the nearest crate.

"What do you mean the kid escaped?!" A human exclaimed. "I thought he's a normal! Are you telling me that spoiled brat had the gall to strip naked and steal our gear?"

 _Oh uh. They found the decoy._

"Did you run a scan?"  
"Y-yes sir. It's confirmed to be Axl's ID. There's no mistake!"  
"Grrr… I bet either a Light or Wily Bot rescued him. Activate more Mechaniloids!"

 _Well, they're not wrong. Technically. Either way, I ought to get out of here before I run into a siren. It's getting too dangerous to gather intel now._

The bigger the scuffle, the more likely X would have his presence exposed.

To his fortune, he found an air vent in the ceiling just big enough for him to fit into. Being smaller than average had its perks.

Once inside, he crawled. And crawled. And crawled.

 _I'll remove this grate, then…_

X dropped feet first back on solid ground. He spotted a door with sunlight beaming through the gaps.

The exit, at last! He just needed to clear the last stretch now. If he's lucky, nobody would be standing around the back…

"Yo. Hands up in the air if you wanna live."

 _Eh? I think I heard this voice before? It's been a long time, but I'm sure of it._

X did as he was told. Albeit frustrated that he got busted.

"Blasted bolts, it really is you!" said the guard. "Those rumours weren't stupid stories after all. C'mon. It's me."

The guard took off his mask.

"Dynamo?!" X exclaimed, though he kept his voice hushed. "Why are you here? With the bad guys?!"

The other robot wagged his finger. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Jumping to conclusions. One, that's not my real name. Two, a man's gotta earn them zennies."

"Are you nuts?! If you get arrested, you'll may not have a normal job ever again!"

The other robot frowned. "Why do you care?"

"Because we were colleagues."

"Look," Dynamo replied. "Not everyone's like you, Mister Doctor. Besides, acting ain't my gig."

Hearing that saddened X. "I would have done my best to help."

"…Nah. My pride won't allow that. The moment I walked the path of a roaming martial artist, I know I could end up on the wrong side of the law. C'est la vie."

"That's a defeatist mentality," X remarked.

Dynamo pouted, sour. "Jeez. I thought Zero was the judgemental one. Either way, mind giving me the honours of a fair duel? Mano a mano?"

 _I want to, but…_

 _…_

X shook his head. "Sorry, not here. Come to my house after working hours. Then we'll spar."

"Fine." Dynamo pointed his gun straight at X, "Day job takes priority then."

A hundred thoughts raced through X's mind.

In the moment, he had to make a life or death choice: to flee or to fight.

The window of action closed by the demi-seconds. X's final decision… was to bank everything on his wildcard.

He thus threw gun at Dynamo's head. Flabbergasted, his opponent dodged the flying weapon without returning fire.

The distraction put X in a prime position. He clasped his hands together and charged his ki.

 _HADOUKEN!_

A blue orb of spiritual energy shot straight towards the enemy.

"W-what the-!" The blast struck Dynamo full force. The poor bloke was sent flying to the floor: knocked out cold.

 _I hope he won't remember that. Can't leave anything that could trace back to special Light or Wily technology._

X then went over to his body and did something that others would call him insane for: he carried the fallen robot on his back.

If left behind, X knew the eventual authorities would throw his former colleague in prison. Or swept up in a worse fate. Whatever it was, he didn't want to leave matters to chance.

His plan was to put Dynamo somewhere safe - far away from the abandoned warehouse - before heading to the nearest police station.

The thundering booms of explosions rocked the warehouse. Bits of dust and rust sprinkled down from the ceiling above.

"W-wha…?!"

A warcry echoed in the distance. It's familiar, though the discord prevented him from properly identifying the owner.

Whoever it was, X doesn't want to be anywhere near the mayhem.

But before X could unlock the back door… he bumped into one of Zero's many elder brothers.

Quickman.

* * *

A silver car sped down the highway.

Quick, behind the wheel. X, riding shotgun. An unconscious Dynamo, strapped to the backseat.

Glancing at the rear mirror, the elder bot remarked: "Dude, who's the kidnapper now? Do you even know this guy?"

X scratched his cheek. "A-ah… he's my former colleague. You remember Dynamo?"

"Oh, that merc who's a blue Pikachu slash Sigma Virus cultist? Without his helmet, he's unrecognizable."

"I don't think you're the one who first made that comparison."

"Damn right. Snake and Flash won't shut up about it. Especially when the shoulders look like Pokeballs."

X chuckled at the imagery. "Hey, are you sure Crash is gonna be fine by himself? Did he have any backup?"

"Shadow is there just in case things get hairy, but Crash will be fine. Plus, he's the only 'splody bot that I trust. Everyone else is several levels of 'murder for kicks'. Don't want us Wily Bots to be on the media for the wrong reasons."

"I don't get why Uncle Wily felt the need to program more bloodlust into the explosive specialists…"

"You tell me, X. It's the mystery of the ages."

Quick let out a long, exasperated sigh. "Daaaaamn this is so slow. Too slow!"

"What happened to your usual ride?" X asked.

"Maintenance," answered Quick. He kept glancing at the back mirrors for any signs of a chase. "Not like I could send her to any ol' mechanic."

"Oh, I see. By the way, how did you guys find me? My comm signals were offline."

With a smug grin, Quick replied, "Heh, heh. Veteran secrets. If you ain't part of the crew, you don't need to know."

X laughed. "Okay then. I'm fine with that."

"Soooo…" asked Quick, "How do you plan to endure the wrath of Blues and Roll?"

"Same as always," X replied.

The Wily Bot chortled. "With a smile, huh? Man… how many times did YOU get stuck in a weird adventure? Makes your action movies look lame."

"Hey there. You think this is crazier than explosions everywhere?"

"Duh! In movieland, you were an army boy: action would be part of your day-to-day life. But in the real world? Class-S Accidental Hero! You always know somebody in need of 'special' help."

"I can't help my luck." X crosses his arms. "If you poke me any further, I won't take over the wheel when we enter city limits."

Quick twitched. Just the thought of adhering to the speed limit was enough to make him cranky. "Fine, fine."

Grunts from the back seat interrupted their banter. It appears that someone stirred from his premature sleep.

Dynamo rubbed his head. "Ugh… what happened?"

"Nice timing," said Quick. "Here I was wondering what hell we should do with you."

"What the- Quickman? THE Quickman?! Y-you're not a fake are you?"

"Gosh you're a funny dude." Delivered in a complete deadpan manner. "Look at the shotgun seat and get back to me."

Dynamo looked.  
X waved.  
And then it's back to the comedy skit.

The poor passenger then spent the next few seconds freaking out about his predicament.

Quick rolled his eyes. "Calm your bolts, sheesh. I'm not a crook in real life."

"B-but you're a military bot!" Dynamo exclaimed.

The Wily bot waved off the reaction. "Yeah yeah living weapons of mass destruction and whatnot. That's ages ago. Guess legends die hard, huh?"

X thought it's time to change topics. "Dynamo. If you can tell us more about your employer, we will arrange a safehouse. Try to get amnesty for you too."

"Ahuh, X here is right. Us Wily Bots are obliged to protect witnesses. Part of the whole 'former war weapons' deal y'know."

Dynamo frowned. "What if I refuse to betray my boss?"

Quick replied: "Then I'll go against X's kindness and dump you at the nearest police lockup."

"Hey!" the Light bot protested.

"Too bad, kiddo. I'm the one with the steering wheel."

The threat alone was enough for Dynamo. "Okay, okay! I'll tell you what I know. It ain't much though."

"We'll be the judge of that," said Quick. "Shoot. Spill the beans."

Dynamo explained that a mysterious client bought out a big chunk of Giga City's special-grade Energen. Since competition was so tight, the slightest tip of the scale caused a chain reaction of shortages. Then someone thought of using Axl's life to 'persuade' his father to shift some stock around.

X rubbed his chin, pondering. "Hmm. I see now. If I was a buyer, I would be frustrated too. But that's not enough to justify crime. I would have looked for other sources…"

 _I had guessed that this would be the case. It's nice to have a confirmation, but this won't give enough leads to pinpoint a perpetrator._

Quick commented, "A thousand zennies that some desperate bugger owns exclusive tech that won't work without it. Mister X's Friend, any idea about the tech itself?"

"I'm just a grunt," said Dynamo. "Fat chance that I'll get to pry into deep secrets."

One pause later, the bot yelped. "OH RIGHT! My boss DID speak with a Lunarian!"

Bad, bad news. Anything that involved the moon people was a complex can of worms. "A-are you sure?" X muttered.

"Yeah! They have a certain accent. I also recognize their gait. Earth's gravity skews with their sense of balance. Unless they're equipped with a stabilizer, they all walk weird."

Quick tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "That's a potentially dangerous info. We're gonna put you under protection for sure."

"Thanks mate," said Dynamo. "Really don't want those spacenoids hounding my butt."

Out of the frying pan and into the fire, it seems. Being under witness protection was not too different from a house arrest. It can get boring. Martial Arts was a great way to keep oneself occupied for long hours.

One problem down, one more to go.

There's the matter of family to deal with: the trickiest of all.


	5. Chapter 5

Back home, after finishing all the police related things…

…Life resumed at a surprisingly normal pace. In fact, it was too normal.

X didn't face any music. Not from Roll. Not from Blues. Not from any of his six other brothers. Not even from his own father.

They continued Sunday as if nothing ever happened. And that bothered X the most.

 _Did I really go too far?_

Brother Cut started a new Dungeons and Dragons campaign in the living room. His crafty cunningness made interesting scenarios, while his stubborn refusal for absurdity kept the game in check.

He asked: "What class are you gonna play today, Ice?"

"Bard, as usual." Ice responded, "Cleric doesn't suit me."

"Okay. Guts?"  
"Depends if Fire wants to be a Warrior or a Paladin."  
"100% chance he's gonna be a Pally. Burning hot with justice and all."  
"Aw, I guess I'll take the Warrior again."  
"Why not try a Shaman? It has some Earth magic."

Brother Elec exclaimed: "Nothing but a lightning Sorcerer for me!"

 _There's… a heavy aura in the room._

X gringerly inched towards the table.

"Um," he asked, "May I join?"

"Nope," Brother Cut cut straight to the point. "You have had way too much adventure. Go chill with Rock. He's coming home soon."

Guts added: "Yeah, bub. You're working on Monday, right?"

Ice glanced up. "I wouldn't want to visit an exhausted doctor."

Elec huffed. "If you want to get into action so much, you should have joined the military."

Fire frowned at the statement. "C'mon, guys. Don't be so harsh on our youngest brother. X's burning heart is a rarity these days! Appreciate it! Besides, I think he was super cool to break out of a hostage situation solo."

Ice's cold ire switched to his flame-based brother. "Tell that to Roll, I dare you."

Bomb grunted at the tension. "If you guys worry about X so much, why not fit him with the Double Gear System?"

The whole table gasped in horror, as though Bomb had mentioned the unthinkable.

Perplexed, Bomb commented: "What? He's not gonna look any different with those installed. We all know how awesome he already is, and if he gets to use them in a pinch we'll never have to worry about him getting hurt again. Win-win situation."

Fire lifted his hand so fast, his character sheet flew over his shoulder. "I concur with Brother Bomb!"

Elec stood up. "The Double Gear System got canned _two centuries ago_ for a reason, you boltheads!"

Bomb retorted, "All the more reason it shouldn't be a problem, short-fuse. That's two centuries of technological improvement!"

"EHERM!" said Cut. He made his fake-throat-clearing as loud as possible. "No fighting at the games table. We promised Dad that we're going to have a nice Sunday. So cut that out."

And with that everyone settled back down in obedient silence.

X was shaken by the whole scenario. His throat choked from guilt. This was way worse than the outbursts that he had grown accustomed to.

"I… understand." X bowed. "Have a good game."

Would they resume their plans? Or, would they just stare at each other in discomfort? He didn't care to know. It didn't matter at this point.

X retreated to the backyard. It's quiet there with plenty of open space: a nice place to sit down and think alone. Also well out of the way of Roll's daily chores. She only mows the lawn when the grass grows too tall.

Time passed. Was it minutes? Hours? X forgot to check the previous position of the sun. At the current, it's tilted a little to the west.

"Hey, X."

He turned towards the voice. It's Rock: the superstar of the Light Family. X always looked up to him as an ideal standard to strive for. Kind, righteous, and helpful.

The elder brother sat down beside the youngest and patted him on the back.

"Oh," X replied. "So, you knew."

Rock nodded. "Yeah. I heard it from Zero."

"You're not angry?" Considering everyone else's reactions, he thought Rock would at least be irritated.

"No." he replied, "It reminds me of what I would have done. So, I'm just glad you're safe."

"I see…"

The brothers shared a quiet moment together: more awkward than anything.

Scratching his cheek, Rock asked: "D-don't you at least want to ask why the others feel the way that they do?"

"Um," X glanced left and right. "I know I should, but I'm not sure if I'm prepared to hear the full story."

He looked upwards to the blue sky. Sparsely clouded. Such a good Sunday, yet it might as well be filled with gloomy rain.

"If it's as bad as I expected, I wouldn't know what to do with it. That's why I didn't dare to pry."

Rock tilted his head. "What do you estimate?"

"Some sort of incident that caused a permanent disability, if not a death in the family."

Judging from that shocked reaction from Rock, his guess was spot on.

It took awhile for Rock to regain his composure. "W-when did you first realise that?"

"After my second adventure." said X.

"Wow," said the elder. "That's like, over a century ago! Dad wasn't kidding about you being a super-thinker. You decided to keep quiet about it all the while?"

"Yeah… I didn't want to dig up old wounds. But, I don't think it's working anymore. It has reached a point where I'm getting shunned."

"Don't take their rudeness to heart, X. They're just being dumb. I'll make sure that they give you a proper apology later."

"I don't want it to be one sided, though…"

After a few false starts, X finally coughed up the question he should have asked a long, long time ago: "C-could you tell me what exactly happened?"

Rock too had a clear sense of hesitation. "Did you know… Brother Blues… was the original candidate for the 'Mega Man' role?"

X expected revelations, but his mental bracing did nothing to soften the impact of the punch. That aloof loner was once 'Mega Man'?

The elder brother held a sad smile. "Shocking, right? See, I was created to be Dad's lab assistant. Action was never supposed to be my thing. That role belonged to Brother Blues: the original humanoid with independent thought and reasoning… and also a military-grade Robot Master equipped with Doctor Wily's Double Gear."

"Dad handled the AI, while Wily installed weapons. Everyone talked about how Blues would be a hero with both the intellect to make the right decisions, and the power to execute them. The future of humans and robots."

"Well, they were right. Brother Blues became a true hero. But… the price he paid was far too high."

* * *

 **20XX**  
 **200 years ago**

Rock took Doctor Wily's temperature with the aid of a thermometer. He could have used his sense of touch, but the man wanted to read the numbers by himself.

"It's 38.5C, Doctor." The robot looked concerned.

Doctor Wily protested, "That's nothing! I've toiled in the 39s before- ACHOO!"

Sneeze number 23. He's been this way since last night. Coughs, chills, body aches, and a high fever: they're all signs of a nasty case of influenza.

Roll shook her head as she unwrapped a packet of gel cooling pads. "If that fever doesn't subside by the time we come home, we're taking you to the hospital. A human of your age is at an elevated risk of dying from pneumonia."

Wily grumbled. "It's just the flu, Roll. I've survived probably a hundred of those in my lifetime." It's the same tired retort.

Wagging her finger, she added: "Even worse! If you join us for the conference, you're going to spread that virus to hundreds of others!"

For a sick man, Doctor Wily was outright energetic. Flipping the blanket off his body, he yelled: "I'M FINE!"

There goes sneeze number 24. 25. 26. The consecutive assault weakened Doctor Wily enough for Roll to slap the pad on his forehead.

From the entrance, Doctor Light exclaimed: "Albert, please calm down."

Rock was instantly alarmed by the good doc's presence. The air in this room must be filled to the brim with germs. He thus shut the door before any of those nasty bugs could escape.

"Dad, don't come in," he said. "You might get sick too."

Doctor Light replied: "I-if that's the case, please turn on the comm lines for Doctor Wily's PC."

Rock did just that. Doctor Light's face popped up on the screen of Wily's personal computer.

 _"Albert, please. You have to calm down."_

"CALM DOWN?" Wily fumed. "How do you expect me to calm down? We FINALLY got the recognition we deserve and I'm STUCK AT HOME because of a BLASTED FLU!"

Sneeze number 27, 28, 29.

 _"I understand. You've dreamed of this moment since our uni days, but you have to take care of yourself first."_

Doctor Light then had a bright idea. _"What if we arrange for a video conference?"_

"Hmph." Wily crossed his arms. "It's not the same as receiving the glory and accolades in person… but I guess that's better than being forgotten. Fine, Thomas! Do whatever you must. I'll make sure to look my best!"

Placated, Doctor Wily settled into his bed. There went sneeze number 30.

"I'm gonna go clean up." Rock then said, "I feel like a walking biohazard at the moment."

"Good call," Roll nodded. "I'll take care of the doc."

In the Light Household, the other six brothers prepared for the big moment in their own way.

Elec hogged the full mirror to himself, making sure that not a single blemish would be overlooked.

Ice sat still on the couch, trying his best to not freak out from the idea of having to appear in public.

Fire prepared a grand speech, only for Cut to cut him down a peg by saying that he won't be giving any. Needless to say, Fire torched Cut's kirigami project to return the favour.

Bomb tried to smuggle fireworks. Thank goodness Guts caught on and confiscated those dangerous toys. Guts then offered Bomb to practice karaoke together instead.

"Hey Rock." Cut tried to hide the burnt remains behind his back. "You're done with Doctor Wily?"

"Yeah. I gotta go take a shower now. Where's Brother Blues?"

"Last I saw him, he took out the hair dryer from storage."

"That's thoughtful of him."

"Heh. He knows what to do to best treat that pompadour of his. That guy's got STYLE. Totally cut out for the presenting life if you ask me."

It's because of Blues that Light & Wily Labs had enough funding to research 'autonomous industrial robots' to begin with. They owed him their lives. However, the idea had failed to catch the interest of the wider public… until the other day.

The prototype movie trailer for 'Mega Man' became an internet sensation overnight. The buzz reached many influential ears, and now they're demanding a public presentation from all the parties involved.

Everything's coming together well.

After the shower, Blues helped Rock dry his hair. The elder brother had the same sense for meticulous grooming as Roll. One had to wonder if it came from strict military regulations.

"And done." Blues put the hair dryer away. "Now to get you dressed up."

"Wow…" Rock lifted up a white shirt. "This would be my first time wearing a three-piece suit."

"It's rented. Try to not wreck it."

The younger brother chuckled. "Don't worry, I won't go crazy. What about the rest of the brothers? Will they dress up too?"

"Nope. For them, their default gear is their uniform. The public wants to see them as is. On the other hand, you can't go on stage wearing only a t-shirt and shorts. I'd die from embarrassment."

"Hey Big Brother, what's it like being in the military?"

Blues shrugged. "Like being in any other job. We robots don't tire the same way as humans. Why do you ask? You want to join too?"

"Nah. I'm fine helping Dad."

"Good. Stay that way." Blues smiled. "Let me be the 'Mega Man'. You be the 'Dust Buster'. You don't want to know the mess he used to live in."

"Haha! What it THAT bad?"

"Worse. Imagine a hazardous warzone of misplaced objects, caked grime, and vermin. My first job as a defender of humanity was to get rid of all possible health risks to Doctor Light and Doctor Wily."

"Wow. That IS bad."

"Told ya."

The siblings laughed together. Little did they know that their innocence would not last…


End file.
